Nokia announced plans to cut 3,500 jobs by the end of 2012 to adjust its workforce and operations. This is the second major restructuring in six months the company , which faces declining sales and profit. The Finnish company will close the factory that opened four years ago in Cluj, Romania, and cut with it, 2.2 million jobs. The unit cell produces simpler than smartphones. Nokia also announced cut of 1,300 jobs in the service unit that includes digital mapping, Navteq.

Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia, and Steve Ballmer of Microsoft, announced a strategic partnership in the area of early 2011

Industrial operations in Salo, Finland, Komaron, Hungary, and Reynosa, Mexico, will be subject to review, with the intention to shift the focus to customers and software. The cuts on Thursday (29) are part of a plan to save more than 1 billion euros, revealed in July.

In its new phase of reorganization, Nokia cut staff in the study area manufacturing and support functions. In the segment of Location & Commerce, the intention is to concentrate efforts in Berlin, Boston and Chicago and elsewhere and stop operations in Bonn (Germany) and Malvern (USA).

Microsoft announced on Wednesday (28) one of the largest patent-related business to Android. The agreement with Samsung provides a cross-license patents from both companies. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will receive the right to use the mark related to smartphones and tablet equipped with Samsung’s Android platform. In addition, the companies will cooperate in developing and marketing Windows Phone. 

Agreement provides that Samsung will help in the development of Windows Phone

“Along with the license agreement signed in 2010 with the HTC, the agreement with Samsung means that the two leading manufacturers of Android handsets in the United States have acquired licenses for the patent portfolio of Microsoft, “said the director of Microsoft, Brad Smith, in a post . “These two companies together accounted for more than half of all Android phones sold in the U.S. in 2010.” The agreement will give businesses a greater coverage of technology patents, and will also affect the development of the Samsung devices equipped with Windows Phone, Smith said. “Microsoft and Samsung the opportunity to see the growth of Windows Phone and we are investing to make this a reality,” said Andy Lees, president of the Windows Phone. “We believe in a model where all our partners can grow and profit based on our platform.”

Google, Apple and Microsoft are the world’s most valuable brands, according to a study by consultancy Brand Finance. “Apple has increased its value by 33%, making it more valuable than Microsoft for the first time,” says a company statement.

The data, released in early September, show what was the value of companies by the end of August. The ranking of most valuable brands is often disseminated throughout the month of January, but says the brand has launched an update in September 2011 due to economic conditions.

Google, which was the most valuable brand in January, following the first ranking position in September. Apple rose from 8th to 2nd place between January and September and took second on the Microsoft.

Among the ten most valuable brands are also IBM, Vodafone and AT & T.

They also showed growth between January and September marks Samsung and Intel, which rose by 24% and 23% in their values, respectively.

Microsoft released late on Tuesday (13) the first test version of new Windows 8. The program is available for download at dev.windows.com in 32 and 64 bit versions.

The company revealed details of Windows 8 on Tuesday (13) during the conference opening Built in Anaheim, California. The program, which will focus not only on traditional computers with Intel processors (PCs), but also for tablets, will bring new interface aimed at control by touch screen, integration with the “cloud” of the Internet and an online store for purchase and download free applications. View images of Windows 8 .

New version of Windows running on tablet with ARM processor

The company also showed the first tablet with the operating system, manufactured by Samsung and Samsung named Developer Windows PC. The device, which initially will not be sold to customers, was distributed to developers at the conference. The previous version was also released to developers on Tuesday. Without disclosing dates, the company confirmed it will open a phase of beta testing before the final release of the product.

Steven Sinofsky at the presentation of Windows 8

Presenting the new operating system made ??by the president of the Windows division of Microsoft , Steven Sinofsky, the company announced that the new version does not mark a break with Windows 7, and that programs designed for the current system will be compatible with Windows 8.

The adaptation of the traditional Windows for use in tablets with ARM architecture -announced by company president Steve Ballmer in January - shows that Microsoft has adopted a different strategy from the current leader of this new market, Apple. The company founded by Steve Jobs has different systems for different product lines, the iPad Mac computers and Microsoft decided to make a single system.

Incidence of new Windows screen, also with the visual 'MetroUI', more suitable for tablets and computers operated by touch screens

‘Touch-centric’
“It’s an evolution. Everything that was good in Windows 7, Windows 8 will be better,” said Sinofsky. During the presentation, the executive used a Lenovo netbook that had been used for three years in the presentation of Windows 7. The old system took up 540 MB of RAM the machine. The new version of “slimmed down”, and uses 281 MB.

During the presentation, Sinofsky stressed that Microsoft wants to bring Windows to the new trend of computers in the form of tablets, but without breaking the functions of Windows 7 have the greatest success of the company. The successor of Vista sold 450 million copies, and three years after the market finally uper Windows XP - launched in 2001 – as most used operating system for personal computers.

Steven Sinofsky during presentation of the new Windows in the United States 8

According to Sinofsky, the program will follow two trends that have emerged in recent years: touch screens and portable, the user is not content to just carry but want to use while moving. “A new way to use the computer came up windows and we want the answer to that,” Sinofsky said that he repeated throughout the presentation that the new interface is “touch-centric”, ie geared to be operated by touching the screen .

“Windows 7 was already enabled for touch screens, but we’ve improved in Windows 8. Once you use a device with touch screen with Windows 8, you will want to touch any equipment.”

“But there will be a time when you may need a mouse or a keyboard, and Windows 8 will also work in the traditional way. It is you who must choose how to interact with the program,” said Sinofsky.

This is the desktop of the new Windows 8, which uses the user interface called 'MetroUI', inherited from the Zune and currently used in mobile phones with Windows Phone 7

Home screen
if the main change is in the new Windows graphical interface, the initial screen is what draws the most attention. Based in the “MetroUI,” originally created for the Zune MP3 player but that has been integrated into mobile Phone with Windows 7 and the Xbox video game, the screen uses “blocks” to represent programs and operating system functions.

“The home screen is a focal point for opening programs and to access those already working,” Sinofsky said. Within the applications, the user can access a taskbar at the bottom and one on the right – you have to slide your finger across the screen to access them. The right corner allows interaction between applications and access functions of Windows itself.

Among the novelties of the new system is also a reduction in the number of notifications that you receive from Windows. “We will have pop-ups or clocks counting down to the updates. There will be only a small notice on the login screen of the user,” said Steven Sinofsky.

For developers, Windows 8 seems to bring more creative in comparison with one of their new competitors, the iPad. “Windows 8 lets you choose the language you want to use for your application constriuir,” Sinofsky said.

Demonstration of 'boot' PC in less than 10 seconds

A significant change for developers is how to provide programs to users. Now, you can buy or download free applications from a digital store managed by Microsoft, such as the famous “App Store” Apple or Android Market, Google’s operating system for mobile phones and tablets.

“We want to keep alive the ecosystem that exists around the windows, but we also offer this new option for developers,” said Sinofsky.The app store will also work in the scheme of “blocks”, through which the user can navigate and choose your programs.

Creative Windows has struck a deal with China Standard Software. 
Companies should focus on selling solutions to large corporations.

Microsoft will develop and market the Chinese market products related to cloud computing, in partnership with a Chinese company, a business that the company can adopt as a model for other emerging countries, including Brazil.

Microsoft and China Standard Software, a provider of operating systems and enterprise products, will develop and sell solutions for cloud computing, primarily for large customers such as online retailers, banks and ministries, said the general manager of the division of open source solutions Microsoft, Sandy Gupta.

Steve Ballmer and Office 365, a product of MS in the 'cloud'

The partnership can serve as a model for similar projects to introduce Microsoft cloud computing in other emerging markets such as India and Brazil, said Gupta.

The cloud computing platform will focus on computers running Windows, and Linux and Unix systems, he said.

The two companies did not disclose financial terms of the agreement.